It’s fair to say that cricket could not survive without its huge army of unsung heroes.

Recognise your volunteers by nominating them for a NatWest OSCA award at the annual event.

The NatWest OSCAs (Outstanding Service to Cricket Awards) are aimed at recognising those volunteers who give so much of their time to the game of cricket – without these individuals the game would not survive.

The NatWest OSCAs 2008 were held on Monday October 13 at Lord’s.

Please find below some ideas on how your Club can recognise its volunteers:

• A straight forward face-to-face thank you – probably the simplest method of all but often not used enough.
• Make a phone call, perhaps the day after an event such as a festival, to say thank you.
• Send them a card – make it specific to the role they play.
• Remember dates special to that volunteer – their 50th birthday etc. and send a card.
• Use certificates, social evenings and invitations to Club events.
• Display photos of your volunteer team on your club notice board – make sure all your volunteers are pictured, including those who help out occasionally.
• Create a new notice board dedicated to volunteers and volunteering – remember to update it regularly to keep it interesting.
• Support development opportunities by helping with the costs of training courses.
• Have a ‘volunteer of the month’ – you could use your notice board, match programme or even start a newsletter to publicise it.
• Provide a pathway for volunteers to progress through so they can find new and challenging roles.
• Give volunteers a team identity with T-shirts, badges etc.
• Invite volunteers to club events, taking the time to introduce them to other members of the club – don’t forget to mention the role they play.
• Name volunteers in match reports, committee reports and minutes.
• If you have a club website, why not use this as a format for featuring volunteers.

The Dorset Cricket Board has a county award evenings to recognise the work of the volunteers within the county. For further information please contact your local Cricket Development Manager.